In his statement, the Taoiseach welcomed the intention to move to a target of 55% for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2030, an increase from the 40% target we have now. From an earlier debate, we are aware that we are relying on Denmark and Estonia to bail us out in that regard. What discussions happened on the sides of the European Council meeting, if any, with representatives from Denmark and Estonia to see if they will bail us out again in future?

The Bill proposes to amend the Planning and Development Act. I do not wish to discuss that, as it has been discussed by others. I wish to discuss the changes to the Residential Tenancies Act, because that is very important. In August, the Oireachtas passed the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020. The protections afforded by the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act, RTVA, will expire on 11 January 2021 and it is proposed to pass the Bill before the House to extend the protections. The RTVA was intended …

I thank Deputies Duncan Smith and Eoghan Murphy for putting this issue forward for debate today. It is very worthwhile. It is the 50th anniversary of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and in January 2021 the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will come into force. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was opened for signatures in 1968 and came into force in 1970. The UN’s website states that: The Treaty is regarded as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-prolifer…

There are currently more than 2,600 children in homelessness. This figure does not include the children in direct provision centres or domestic violence refuges. We know that the true figure is much higher. In 2015, there were 880 children in homelessness. That is an increase of 200% in just five years. The Minister will note my language. I did not say "homeless children", I referred to "children in homelessness". Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, the Greens and successive Governments since the 1990s have forced these childr…

I was very happy to co-sign this motion on mental health and am delighted to speak on it this morning. For me, when we talk about mental health and access to timely and affordable support, we are talking about everyone. Mental health should be like climate action; there should be a cross-party, all-Government committee and it should be taken into consideration for every aspect of policy making. I heard the Minister of State speak of legislation. I hope that does not end up like the climate action legislation, which…

I move: That, pursuant to Standing Order 198, the Bills which lapsed on the dissolution of the 32nd Dáil, and are set out in the Schedule to this motion, shall be restored to the Order Paper at the stage specified in the Schedule below.

The explanatory and financial memorandum on this Bill states: The Health Insurance Acts 1994 to 2019 provide for a Risk Equalisation Scheme for the health insurance market since 1 January 2013. Under the Scheme, insurers receive risk equalisation credits to compensate for the additional cost of insuring older and less healthy members. Is that not a sad and depressing statement? I believe it is. Nobody on the opposite side of the House will believe it but that is the case. It is the financialisation of human lives a…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. The rainy day fund of €1.5 billion was already drawn down for budget 2021. The initial plan to set aside €1 billion per year has already been reduced down to €500 million per year due to the exceptional circumstances of Brexit. Now we have the further exceptional circumstances of a global pandemic. We had to have this motion not to pay the prescribed amount put before us. Many of us in opposition argued at the time that the €1.55 billion and subsequent annual amounts …

Today is International Day of People with Disabilities. When Covid hit earlier this year, hundreds of thousands of people were temporarily out of work and were provided with the pandemic unemployment payment of €350 per week. It was the first time that the Government kind of admitted that people cannot really live on €203 per week. Shockingly, the maximum rate for disability allowance is €203. For a number of years, advocacy groups for persons with disabilities have been telling us about the extra cost associated w…

In the spirit of "Nothing about us without us", last Friday, I released a survey called It's Your Day, Your Say, to ask persons with disabilities what they would like to say to Ministers. As one can imagine, there were some heartbreaking and awe-inspiring responses. One young woman wrote to me about the disability allowance of €203 a week and how insufficient it is. Another respondent asked how public and private employers are measured on their employment of those with disability issues. Another person said to plea…

There is no doubt that the number of people in receipt of these payments has increased but that is because the number of people with disabilities has unfortunately increased. In 2018, the at risk of poverty rate for people with disabilities in Ireland was nearly 10% higher than the European average of 36.9%. Some 46.9%, almost half, of people on disability allowance were at risk of poverty in Ireland. That is a shocking figure. This compares with 14% of the general population. In 2018, the at risk of poverty rate o…

On the social protection examinations that been undertaken since Covid-19 and the areas of deprivation that go along with that, it is no surprise that the areas of highest incidence of Covid-19 are also the areas of highest deprivation and dependence on social welfare payments, together with low pay. Has the Minister's Department looked at and has it got any figures on that issue?

I thank the Minister of State for the information which is, nevertheless, widely available. Has the Department looked at this issue? As the Department of Social Protection, it should be looking at how people are surviving, and Covid-19 is the main event that is taking place. It is not enough for the Department of Health only to be looking at this. The Department of Social Protection should also be looking at this. I take it from the Minister of State's response that his Department has not taken a look at this. Will…

Does the Department of Social Protection not consider that it is something it should be interested in, because I believe it has a direct bearing on people? I ask the Department to look at it and see. I do not think that is too much to ask.

From what I can tell, the last official meeting of the collaborative forum for former residents of mother and baby homes was this time last year, on 11 December 2019. There were 13 forum members present, including the chairperson, Dr. Gráinne Healy, as well as the Minister's predecessor, Katherine Zappone, and six officials from the then Department of Children and Youth Affairs. From the notes of the meeting, it seems that a number of commitments were made to the forum and follow-up was expected. Instead, the forum…

I thank the Minister for his response. It worries me that he talks about it not being possible to have meetings of the collaborative forum. There is the option of video conferencing, which has been availed of by the Oireachtas. That could have been put in place. I am concerned that there is a possibility of the forum being put on hold. In the notes of a previous meeting of the forum, it was stated that members "feel that their voice and opinions are not being adequately recorded in order for it to be evident to a w…

Perhaps we should have a question about the role of the Attorney General in the operation of the Department. It seems that everything has been done according to his say in this matter, and that is worrying. The legal view takes a very narrow view of how things can actually be done and how people can be dealt with. These people need a more humane view rather than a legal view. That would go a long way towards meeting it. The Minister needs to be strong and stand up to the Attorney General. He needs to tell him it is…

Buildings in Donegal will today be lighting up for the Purple Lights 20 campaign for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Mr. Gary Kearney wrote to me in October and asked for my assistance in bringing about the campaign. My friend and well-known outstanding disability rights activist, Mr. Frank Larkin, had been due to help Gary with the campaign for Donegal, but sadly Frank passed away earlier this year. I acknowledge Frank Larkin and the great advocacy work he did in his lifetime for persons with d…

Another take on our slowness in ratifying the UN convention would be that we just wanted to drag our heels. Other countries ratified the convention straight away and it may have set a benchmark for them to make sure they could achieve it. I would love to think we will ratify the optional protocol. What is the timeframe for that? I would like to know because I do not believe the Government intends to do it and, unfortunately, I do not believe people with disabilities think the Government intends to do it either, whi…

Businesses across the country are coming out of the Covid lockdown. In Donegal, they have been asking me whether the supports they and their staff received while in lockdown would continue if they chose not to open at this time. I have emailed the Tánaiste's office about this matter, but I have not been able to get a response. That is why I am raising it now. Will he respond, please?